Folding-frame chair



g 30, 1965 L. MARZOCCHI 3,269,767

FOLDING-FRAME CHAIR Filed OG'. 18, 1963 IFIG.I

INVENTOR LORENZO MARZOCCHI AGENT United States Patent O 3,269,767FOLDING-FRAME CHAIR Lorenzo Marzocchi, Via Bellinzona 38/2, Bologna,Italy Filed Oct. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 317,224 1 Clam. (Cl. 297 29) It isthe object of the present invention to Widely improve the system foradjusting the inclination of any known type of chair or deck chair, ofupholstered easy chairs and the 1ike.

It seems advisable to shortly describe this very comrn-on type of chair.Its frame, usually made of wood or metal, is generally featuring twofront and two rear legs which, seen from their side, are describing anoverturned V, as they are preferably connected to each other at theirupper ends, while they are kept at a fixed distance from each other bymeans of a substantially horizontal cross bar fitted half way down,forming a solid triangle representing the side of the char. The back ofthe chair is hinged to the rear end of its seat. The elbow rests areeonnecting an intermediate point of the back With the vertex of saidtriangle, usually fitted With the device for adjusting the inclinationof the chair back. As a matter of fact the operator, by displacing theelbow rests backwards and forwa-rds, is also inclining the backaccording- 1y and Will then fix it in the desired position. However,this known type of dock chair and the 1ike is presenting some remarkabledisadvantages as far as its adjustment is concerned. For instan-oe, whenmoving the elbow rests forwards and backwards the operator is alwaysobliged to fix them both in exactly the same position in order to avoidany displacements of one side towards the other, which Would, of course,disconnect the frame. In order to obviate this inconvenienee somemanufacturers often adopted an adjusting 1ever With a semicrcularmovernent to be fixed into its two final positions, but thus theintermediate positions are no longer possible, Which is a newdisadvantage, these intermediate positions being the most necessary.

By the present invention the above mentoned inconveniences are to beeliminated.

The main feature of the present invention is the possibility to obtainany dsplacement of the chair back Without unduly engaging the operatorand without setting notches involving the danger of a misplacement.

In a type of chair built up according to the present invention the elbowrests, instead of being displaceable forwards and backwards as usual,are fixed to the frame, while the seat may be displaced forwards andbackwards. When moving the seat also the back is displaced accordingly,rotating around the point where the elbow rests are hinged to it. As theseat is no longer able to act as a spacer between the front and the rearlegs, being oblged to move forwards and backwards in respect to the legsthemselves, there is a special spacer connecting the front legs to therear legs and keeping them in the right position to form the abovementioned triangle. While sliding back and forth the seat is subject toa remarkable friction as it is carrying the weight of the person sittngon it. Owing to this friction and resistance the seat Will stop in anydesired position without requiring any fixng device 1ke notches, teethor the like, thus eliminating the danger of a dsplacement of one side ofthe chair in respect to the other one. On the other side, should theresistance and friction not be the same at both sides of the chair, thesolidity of the square and nondeformable seat frame Wil1 prevent anymisplacement of the two sdes of the chair. Finally, the operator is nolonger compelled to carefully adjust the inclination of the chair backas he will automatically adjust it by simply changing the inclination ofhis own back. As for the folding of the chair 3,269,767 Patented August:30, 1965 no special description is necessary as it is carried out in theusua] manner.

The above and other features Will be more clearly understood from thefollowing description of a merely indicative exarnple of execution andfrom the enclosed drawing, where FIG. 1 is a side view of the chair Withits back in a fairly vertical position, and

FIG. 2 is showing the same chair with its back in a more inclinedpositi0n.

Referring to the enclosed drawing, the chair is fitted with two frontlegs 1 and two rear 1egs 2, connected by means of pin 3. A spacer 4between pins 5 and 6 keeps said front and rear legs apart, i.e. pin 6 isnot hinged on the rear 1eg but in a -lever 7 hinged on turn to the manleg by means of 21 pin 8, the frame of this kind of chair usually beingfitted With such a. lever in View of the folding operation. Elbow rest 9is fixed to the solid triangle forming the char side by means of a pin10 With the help of a connecting piece 11 fixed to the upper end of therear 1eg. The rear end of elbow rest 9 is pivoted on baek 13 by means ofa pin 12, while the lower end of said back 13 is hinged on seat 15 bymeans of a pin 14. In order to allow the seat its to and fro movementsit is fitted With a slot 16 along whieh pin 5 is free to slide back andforth, while pin 14 may slide in a slot 17 recessed into spacer 4. Saidseat 15 and the weght of the person sitting on it is resting on frontpin 5 and rear pin 14, While in the known chairs With a sliding seat,the 1atter is supported by the back of the chair and therefore followingits displacemen'ts, so that when the back is tilting rearwards and itslower end lifted upwards the seat Will be lifted at its rea-r end.

The details, dimensions, materials and shape of the chairs madeaccording to the present invention may vary without surpassing thedornain of the present invention.

I clairn:

An improved folding-frame chair whic'h comprises in combination:

(a) front and rear legs arranged substantially into an overturned V,forming the side of the chair;

(b) a pair of arm rests connected to the apex of said overturned V bymeans of hinged connectors and to the back of said chair at anintermediate height thereof by means of pins;

(c) a seat supported by said Iegs at an intermediate height thereof andhorizontally slidably adjustable to and fro on notchless andarresterless planes by the friction caused against said planes by theweight of the person sitting in said seat;

(d) a tiltable back pivotably connected at an intermediate height tosaid arm rests and at the lower extremity to said seat by a pin; and

(e) a pair of spacers coplanar With said seat, pivotably connected tosaid front =legs and hinged to said rear -1egs, and having a slot alongpart of the long axis thereof, along which slot supportedly slides thepin -connecting said seat to said lower extremity of said back, saidspacers keeping said Iegs fixedly apart when said overturned V-frame isin open position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 414,801 11/1889Edwards 297--29 900, 5 93 10/ 1908 Rhodes 297-29 2,099,498 11/ 1937Platter 297 29 92,627,898 2/1953 Jackson 297--342 2,654,417 10/1953Kifchofer 297--29 FRANK B. SHERRY, Primary Exa miner. CASMIR A. NUNBERG,Examiner. F. K. ZUGEL, Assistant Examz'ner.

